2023 CE • Somalia
"The smallest of the equids and the only ass with striped legs, the Somali wild ass has small, narrow hooves that help the ass move quickly and safely through its stony habitat. This small, surefooted design led to the domestication of [the Somali wild ass] by the Egyptians more than 6,000 years ago . . . Their images have been painted in caves by ancient peoples in North Africa, and, at one time, sultans of the area ordered a man's hand cut off if he killed a wild ass . . . Native to the rocky desert of eastern Africa, Somali wild asses rest under any shade they can find until the temperature cools down in the late afternoon and evening, grazing again in the early morning hours . . . All wild equids—horses, zebras, and wild asses—are threatened; however, the Somali wild ass is critically endangered. Political unrest, encroachment of their land and water sources by domestic herds, poaching, and a general lack of concern for their welfare are all major threats to the wild asses. The asses compete with people and livestock for food and water sources; they are hunted for food, skins, and use in traditional medicines; and they can also freely interbreed with domesticated donkeys, which further threatens this critically endangered species. The Somali wild ass is the smallest of all the equids and is at critical risk, with only a few hundred left in their native habitat. Something as simple as a drought could be enough to wipe out the entire population."
"Somali Wild Ass," San Diego Wildlife Alliance.
Image: Wayne S. Grazio via Flickr, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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